Sofa bed



Aug. 26, 1941. R. o. SMTH. y 2,253,65s-f v som BED Filed June 17, 19 384 Sheets-Sheet 1v INVENTOR v faazP/,f d 5/17/ Tf/ Aug. 2.6, 1941.

'R o. sMrn-l 2,253,658 Y' SOFA BED Filed June 17,'1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2Aug. ze, 1941. .I R, Q SMITH 2,253,658

SOFA BED 1 Filed June 1'7, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug. 26, 1941. R.

um "l o.l sMl-'rH SOFA BED Filed' June 17, 1958 INVENTOR FaULP/f 0. 5/T/f \v\ S BY AmmEATTO'RNEY Patented Aug. 26, 1941 UNITED SIT E S PAT ENTOFFICE SOFA BED Application June 17, 1938, Serial-No. 214,203

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sofa beds and has for its general object theprovision of an extensible or sliding bed section for a sofa which doesnot necessitate modification of the general characteristics,construction and appearance of the sofa.

Other objects of my invention are the elimination of the objectionablefeatures of prior constructions and. include the elimination of the useof a third mattress, the provision of a sofa bed which is comfortablefor sitting and sleeping and at the proper height for both, eliminationof the relatively wide concealing member or false rail `at the front ofthe sofa bed, and the use of a narrow false rail or concealing memberthe lower edge of which will be alined with the rails of the frame ofthe sofa bed and still conceal the slidable bed section under the sofa.This construction provides also for exposing the legs of the sofa bed sothat in all appearances the sofa bed will look like an ordinary sofa inwhich no sliding bed section is provided.

t is also an object of my invention to provide improved means connectingthe guiding means'to the sliding bed section and the sofa. It is also anobject to improve the construction generallyso that the sliding bedsection may be provided with simplified and inexpensive supporting legsand readily accessible operating means may be employed for spreading thelegs and raising the bed and said operating means may function toprevent the accidental lowering of the bed.

Another object of my invention is to so construct the various parts thatit will not be necessary to use relatively stiff or highly vcompressedsprings in the platform or sofa seat and the removable' mattress toobtain the proper sitting height and so that the sleeping comfort of thesofa seat will be substantially the same as that of the removablemattress which is swung onto the sliding bed section, and also that thesofa when used for sitting will provide a comfortable seat with thecombined effect of the readily yieldable springs .of the platform seatand of thev removable mattress.

It is another object of my invention to make provision for lowering therear edge of the sliding bed section closer to the oor, to permit theuse of an inclined support for the platform seat and the properpositioning of the false front rail with such inclined construction.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is avertical transverse section taken just inside of the arm at one end ofthev sofashowing the sliding bed section in end view and parts of theplatform or sofa seat and removable mattress broken away;

Fig. 2 is a View similiar to that of Fig. 1 showing the sliding bedsection pulled out of the` sofa and in raised position and the removablemattress on said sliding bed section;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the rails or main frame ofthe sofa and shows a top view of the sliding bed section in the positionshown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view showing a supporting leg of the sliding bedsection;

Fig. 5 shows my invention embodied in a sofa provided with a back only;

Fig. 6 shows my invention embodied in a sofa or couch not provided witheither arm rests or a back;-

Fig. 'l is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing a modification; and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 of the modification shown inFig. 7.

For purposes of disclosure, I have shown in Figs. 1 to 6 a substantiallyconventional form of sofa which includes the usually strong, sturdyframe construction as indicated in the various figures. 'I'he sofa framecomprises a front rail I0, a rear rail II, and end rails I2. Rear legsI3 are connected to said rails by any suitable means as indicated inFig. 3, said legs having portions which form the framework for the backI4 of the sofa to which framework are secured arms I5 supported on theend rails I2. These arms may be suitably covered. y

The sofaV includes a platform seat or mattress I8 which is suitablysupported on the frame of the sofa and which includes spring inserts orsprings I9 which are relatively long and yieldable and any suitablelling material 2D between the upper ends of the springs and the cover ofthe platform seat. As will appear later the height of the platform seatis such that a mattress 22 may be supported thereon to provide a seat atstandard'sitting height when the sofa is used for sitting. This mattressincludes spring inserts Comprising springs 23 which are also relativelylong and. yieldable and spaced from the cover of the mattress by anysuitable filling material 24 and 25,.

As disclosed in Fig. 1 the front rail I0 is located higher than the rearrail II to provide a space through which the sliding bed section 25 maybe moved into and out of position under the sofa. The front legs 26 maybe secured to the end rails by any suitable means. The construction issuch that the lower edges of the side and rear rails and of a falsefront rail 21 are spaced at a suitable distance from the floor todisplay the legs of the sofa as in the conventional sofas.

The false rail or concealing member 21 is connected to the front anglemember 28 of the sliding bed 25 which includes side angle members 29 and36 and a rear angle member 3|, all of said angle members being securedtogether in the relation indicated to form the frame of the sliding bedsection, said angle members being per'- forted for anchoring elements ofa iiat spring 32 of any conventional form.

The sliding bed section 25 is supported by front legs 35 and rear legs36 on which are mounted casters 31, the legs being pivoted to thedownwardly extending flanges of the angle bars 26 and 36 of the frame ofthe sliding bed section as indicated `at 38 and beingconnected by abrace 39 pivotally connected to an L-shaped bracket 46 secured to thehorizontal iront or rear angle bar 28 or 3| as the case may be. Thelower end of the supporting bracket 39 is connected to the leg by a pin54 by which operating links 4| and 42, Fig. l, lare pivotally connectedto the legs 35 and 3,6. The operating links at one end of the bed arepivoted to an arm 43 of an operating bail which comprises an operatingbar 44 and another arm 45 at the other end of the sliding bed section towhich the other operating links are connected. Said arms are connectedto the side members 29 and 30 by pivot pins 65 located intermediate ofthe pivot pins which connect the links 4| and 42 to the arms 43 and 45.

When it is desired to use the sliding bed section, it is drawn forwardlyfrom the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3and is guided in this forward movement by a pair of bars 46 and 41pivotally connected together, the corresponding ends of said bars at oneend of the sliding bed section being pivotally connected to brackets 48and 49 on the rear bar 3| of the sliding bed section and on the rearrail I of the sofa.

The other ends of the bars 41 and46 are connected by pin and slotconnections 56 and 5| to brackets4 52 and 53 connected respectively tothe rear bar 3| and the rear rail Fig. 3. The Vbrackets 48 and 52 extendbelow the frame of the sliding bed section, and the pivotal and slidingconnections between the bars 46 and 41 and all of the brackets are suchthat thebars 46 and 41 may `adjust themselves angularly vertically asthe sliding bed section is moved. As the bars 46 and 41 cooperate withthe frame of the sliding bed section, it is obvious of course that theirconnection with the sofa and sliding bed section will limit the outwardmovement of the sliding bed section, so that it will be automaticallystopped in the proper position adjacent to the sofa to be then elevatedby the means heretofore described, into the position shown in Fig. 2.The connections between the front ends of the bars 46 and 41 and therear bar 3| of the sliding bed section are preferably such that the barsmay be disconnected from the sliding bed section by raising their frontends. The sliding bed section may then be moved to another part of theroom to be used as a separate bed.

The construction is such that the legs assume the angular relation toeach other shown in Fig.

2 when the sliding bed section is raised into bed height position.

This provides a stable construction. Spreading of the legs is preventedby the links 4| and 42. Any tendency of the pair of legs to swinginwardly is opposed by the work required to swing the pair of legs 36inwardly under the weight oi the bed and occupant. Such movement wouldswing the bail clockwise and would be limited by the limited movement ofthe bail in a clockwise direction as is obvious from Fig. 2. Swingingmovement of the pair of legs 36 beyond the position shown in Fig. 2 isprevented by engagement of the operating bar of the bail with stops, asindicated.

The construction in Figs. 1 to 6 is such that the sliding bed sectionlies in horizontal planes in its raised and lowered positions. The bailis preferably movable clockwise into the position shown in Fig. 1 behindthe false rail 21 and counter-clockwise into the position shown in Fig.2 so that the removable mattress will not rest on it in either position.By using links 4| of greater length than that of links 42, the legs 3 5and 35 will be swung through equal arcs and the sliding bed section willlie in horizontal planes in both lowered and raised positions.

As shown in Fig. 5, I may use this invention with a sofa provided with aback and no arms or as shown in Fig. 6 with a sofa or couch with neitherback nor arms.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have disclosed my invention modified for use with asofa in which the platform is inclined to the rear for sitting comfort.In this case lthe end rails as indicated by |2 are inclined to the rearand in order to have the sliding bed section t beneath the soia, it isalso inclined to the rear at the same angle to the horizontal. This maybe effected by locating the pivot pins 66 Figs. '1 and 8 closer to thepivots 38 of 'the front legs 35 causing the rear legs 36 to be raisedhigher than the front legs 35 when the bed is lowered by swinging thebail 44 to the right. This shifting of the pivot pins 66 does notmaterially affect the angular relation of the legs 35 and 36 with thevertical when the bed is raised so that the bed will still liesubstantially in a horizontal plane when in raised position. In thisconstruction the links 4| and 42 may be made of the same length ifdesired and the amount of inclination of the sliding bed section may becontrolled by the position of the pivot pins 60. The organization issuch that the bed inclines toV the rear in its lowered position if thepivot pins 66 are placed midway between the pivots 38. The amount ofinclination may be increased by shifting the pivot pins 6U to the rightin Figs. '1 and 8.

While I have described my invention with particularity, it is to beunderstood that I reserve the right to use all changes thereof that fallWithin the principles of my invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bed frame, of legs pivoted thereto on pivotsextending lengthwise of the frame for movement toward andaway from eachother, an operating bail pivoted on the ends of said frame, and linkageconnections between said bail and said legs whereby when A,said bail isswung in one direction it will swingV said legs toward each other tolower said frame and when swung in the opposite direction it will swingsaid legs away from each other to raise said frame, said bail oper-atingto move said legs. away from each other beyond the. vertical, saidvframe limiting the movement of said bail in either direction and saidbail being adapted to engage a mattress on said frame to limit itsmovement in a direction to lower the frame.

2. The combination with a bed frame, of legs pivoted to the frameadjacent the four corners thereof on pivots extending lengthwise of theframe, and means for swinging said legs apart to raise said frame andtoward each other to lower said frame, said means operating to swing thelegs on one side of the frame closer to the frame than the legs on theother side of the frame, the construction being such that the frame willbe in a horizontal position when raised and an inclined position whenlowered.

3. The combination with a bed frame, of supporting legs pivoted theretofor movement away from each other beyond the vertical to support theframe in raised position and for movement toward each other to supportthe frame in lowered position, and means for swinging said legs to causethe legs on one side of the frame to swing higher than the legs -on theother side of the frame are swung whereby the frame will be inclinedtoward one side when lowered, said frame being also supported onsaidlegs during swinging movement of said legs.

4. In combination with a bed frame, of legs pivoted on said frameadjacent its side edges and in one position supporting said frame in ahorizontal plane, and means for swinging all of said legs toward saidframe operating to swing the legs on one edge of said frame closer tosaid frame than the legs on the other edge of said frame to lower saidframe into a plane inclined to the4 horizontal.

RUDOLPH O. SMITH.

